A day in the life – Stuart Cawley, bartlett mitchell

Luckily I have always been a morning person so an early start is not hard for me. I am a great believer in always taking breakfast, so coffee and a quick bite whilst planning the day ahead is a typical start for me. I look after nine clients for bartlett mitchell and work closely with the onsite teams on all aspects of our delivery.

Do you have a fairly structured, 9-5 day or can anything happen? (Do you prefer to have a routine or to mix it up?)

My working day varies and no day is the same as the next, which is one of the main aspects I enjoy about my role with bartlett mitchell. I love the fact that in our business you never quite know what the day ahead will bring and I really like the buzz of those last minutes requests for bespoke events. We are not an ‘off the self’ caterer and how we manage these special bespoke requests is what really sets us apart and provides my motivation and feeling of satisfaction. My day doesn’t end at 5 o’clock because I have a lot of clients who need catering for evening events which can be anything from canapés and cocktails to a full-blow fine dining affair.

What are your main duties?

My main duties involve supporting the onsite teams to ensure that we constantly deliver and wow our customers. Food is at the heart of our business so bringing new concepts and innovation to client’s business’ will always be the focus of my day. At the heart of my duties is ensuring we are always on top of our game and really wowing our customers with amazing food and exciting service. That’s one of the reasons I like our Essence training, which we developed in collaboration with one of our clients, a leading London drama school. It is all about the ‘theatre of service’ – watching the teams embrace this spirit is immensely rewarding.

Do you have supportive/fun colleagues?

bartlett mitchell has a family feel and even when we are really busy you always know that you have colleagues you can rely on and more importantly have fun and laugh with at the same time.

Do you get three square meals or is it more of a case of grab and go?

We encourage all our teams to have ‘lunch on us’ so I enjoy eating in the restaurant where I am visiting, whether it is our latest street food concept or even a bowl of our team’s delicious new ‘soupa’ concept. If I am in a hurry I grab one of our ‘raw and ripe’ smoothies which gives me just the energy I need when I am on the go.

What is your favourite part of your working day?

It has to be service time. I still get a buzz during the set up time between breakfast and lunch when the teams are transforming their counters. It’s great to see just how entrepreneurial and creative our teams can be.

What is your biggest frustration?

I always find a silver lining in most situations but my biggest frustration as a customer is poor service, in today’s market it still amazes me if I experience poor service.

How do you like to unwind after a hard day?

Swimming is my thing and I usually unwind with a swim at least 3 times a week, but just to get home is always a good start.

The above article can be found in b&i catering and the full article can be read here